Timrå IK
Timrå IK (Timrå Red Eagles) is a Swedish ice hockey team from Timrå. The team is currently playing in the second-tier league HockeyAllsvenskan since the 2013–14 season, after failing to re-qualify for the SHL/Elitserien in the 2013 Kvalserien. Seasons in the top division include 1956–57 to 1975–76, 1977–78, 1981–82, and 2000–01 to 2012–13. History The club origins from Wifstavarvs IK, founded in 1928, and Östrands IF, founded in 1931. Both clubs started playing ice hockey in 1938 and in the summer of 1942 they merged into Wifsta/Östrands IF, more commonly called W/Ö. W/Ö made its first Swedish Championship appearance in 1943. The championships were played independently from the national league at the time. Five seasons later, 1948–1949 the team was accepted for play in the national league system in Sweden. Starting in third league, Wifsta/Östrands IF won nine out of ten games and directly advanced to second league or Division II Norra (North Division). In spring 1956, having spent seven seasons facing teams like Brynäs IF, Mora IK and Leksands IF, W/Ö qualified for the top national league on March 10, 1956. Meanwhile, the top league, Division I, nicknamed Allsvenskan by many, was expanded from 6+6 to 8+8 teams, a North and South Division. In 1963, the local club Fagerviks GF was absorbed and W/Ö was renamed Wifsta/Östrand–Fagerviks IF or simply WÖF. Starting with the 1958–1959 season, W/Ö was playing its home games on an artificial ice rink. Some years later an ice arena was built, and WÖF played its first indoor season 1965–1966 under the roof of what is now E.ON Arena. Just one year later, the lengthy name Wifsta/Östrand–Fagerviks IF was finally replaced by Timrå IK as of 1966–1967. Timrå IK continued to play successful hockey and stayed in the top league in Sweden until Elitserien was formed in 1975. Having finished last of the 10 teams, the club received their first relegation and was demoted after 20 years in the top league. Back in second league for one season, 1976–1977, Timrå stood undefeated in all 22 games and qualified for promotion again. However, it would not last. Two one-year visits in Elitserien 1977–1978 and 1981–1982 ended in low results and relegation. Many winters later, still in second league, an effort to regain the status of old times was made. On May 22, 1990, the collaboration Sundsvall/Timrå Hockey was formed with the nearby club IF Sundsvall Hockey. Still no success, and just a few years after, the joint Main/Farm team relationship was ended. Some confusion followed when the former Timrå club was named ST Hockey during the 1994–1995 season, but is since April 6, 1995 known as Timrå IK yet again. After qualifying for the Kvalserien in 2000, the Red Eagles finally earned promotion to Elitserien on April 14, 2000, and returned to Elitserien after 18 years of absence. Almost three years later, March 1, 2003, Timrå IK played the Swedish Championship playoffs for the first time since 1974. In the 2012–13 season, Timrå finished eleventh in the regular season and therefore had to play in the 2013 Kvalserien to stay in the top-tier league, but the team finished outside the top two spots and was relegated to the second-tier league HockeyAllsvenskan for the first time since the 1999–2000 season. Season-by-season record The first five years: 1937–1938 to 1941–1942 ''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins (2 Pts), L = Losses, T = Ties (1 Pts), Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, WIK = Wifstavarvs IK, ÖIF = Östrands IF'' Joint forces and lower divisions: 1942–1943 to 1955–1956 ''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins (2 Pts), L = Losses, T = Ties (1 Pts), Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against'' Top division: 1956–1957 to 1974–1975 ''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins (2 Pts), L = Losses, T = Ties (1 Pts), Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against'' Elitserien and below: 1975–1976 to 1998–1999 ''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins (2 Pts), L = Losses, T = Ties (1 Pts), BP = Bonus points (awarded mid-season for Fortsättningsserien teams from 1986–1987 to 1998–1999), Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against'' Elitserien: 1999–2000 to 2012–2013 ''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins (3 Pts), L = Losses, T = Ties (1 Pts), OTW = Overtime or Shootout wins (1 Pts), Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes'' External links * Timrå IK official homepage Category:Ice hockey teams in Sweden